Video: Wes Miller Previews BYU/Utah

After finishing the non-conference portion of their schedule 10-1, Cincinnati basketball now finds themselves in a hole at 12-6 (2-5 Big 12).

(Photo: Taylor Keeton / RiverfrontU )

While the Bearcats were able to overcome offensive inconsistency throughout stretches of the non-conference portion of the schedule, that hasn't been the case through the first seven games of conference play. 

In their most recent loss to Texas Tech, Cincinnati played well enough offensively to win the game, but were unable to get enough stops defensively to win the game. 

UC made 52% of their field goal attempts and also converted 14-of-19 free throws, but were out-rebounded 34-27, while also allowing Tech to make 12-of-31 of their 3-point attempts.

"The fact of the matter is we got to try to put 40 minutes together in the aspects that we can be good in and the aspects that we put value in," Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller told media Thursday afternoon. "We didn't do that in the last game. Hopefully we're getting some confidence as a group that we're trending in the right direction,"

Under Wes Miller, Cincinnati has traditionally been one of the most physical teams that opponents will see on their schedule. Defense and rebounding have always been a staple of the Cincinnati program, but the Bearcats have now been out-rebounded in five consecutive games.

Over the last four games against Kansas, Colorado, Arizona State, and Texas Tech, the Bearcats have given up an average of 12.75 offensive rebounds per game. 

"Physicality. That's been a glaring weakness," Miller explained when describing what he's seen on film from his team. 

"Some of the rebounding stuff is technique. Some of it's physicality. Some of it's just habit of going to the offensive board, which has been really poor recently. Some of it is just going to get damn thing and securing the damn ball."

With Cincinnati struggling to find consistency in multiple areas, Wes Miller and his staff has many challenges to try to figure things out heading into a two-game road trip to Utah to face BYU on Saturday and then Utah on Tuesday.

"First off you have limited practice time so how you allocate that practice time is extremely important, in terms of the practice planning. You can't lose sight of the things you're doing well and the things you've created some identity on, so you have to keep touching on those."

Miller continued.

"And then you have to keep attacking things that you have to improve or you have to evolve and address, and you still have to prepare for the next opponent. The allocation of that is a puzzle and that's our job as coaches to put that puzzle together as best as we can."

Full media availability, as well as all quotes and comments from Miller on BYU can be viewed below: